An excellent choice for a small-office environment, AT&T's 954 four-line intercom speakerphone offers a wealth of features to handle a variety of needs for both individual and group use. This corded unit handles up to four separate lines and includes a "convenience port," into which you can connect a fax machine or modem. Whenever a line is in use, the line-in-use indicator lights up on the other phones. An automatic call privacy feature allows only one 954 phone at a time to use a line. Users can cancel call privacy to allow others to join in on the call, obviating the need to employ the conference feature for participants within the same office. Call privacy is restored when you end the call.
The 954 provides all the options you'd expect to find in an office phone. The intercom allows you to call another 954 phone in your office without using an outside line. Intercom operations feature both single-phone and system-wide paging. The All Page/Dial button allows you to announce a message over all four lines and to any phone within the network.
The hands-free speakerphone mode is excellent. Callers on the other end of our conversation experienced minimal echo and distortion, which are problems commonly associated with speakerphone calls.
The 954 also includes a 36-number dialing memory, and an LCD display shows the date, time, number dialed, and duration of call. A nifty feature lets you program pauses into numbers entered into memory. This is especially handy for business lines that require you to dial 9 to obtain an outside line. We found all the programming and setup options easy to implement, though you'll want to consult the manual for all the intercom operations.
If you're looking for a phone to handle multiple lines and basic conferencing tasks, AT&T's 954 four-line intercom speakerphone will provide everything you need. --John Frederick Moore
Pros:
- Wealth of features for the small office
- High-quality distortion-free speakerphone
Cons:
